Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-27
ALION KILLS A HORSE
FOUND LYIIG on ITS BODY AHpD1INK
ING lrs BLOOD.
New York sun.l

on the Todu all Wiutefs In tuc suut"''
Froype takes his mepagerie to thirty-acrt
farm between the towns OF Madison ant
Chatham, in New Jersey, as q vacation from
the fatigue OF the theatrical season. The
caravan went into its summer quarters
fortnight ago. and on Monday OF last week
Frayne was awakened by terrible rumpu'
in the barn. He hurried out balf-dressed
and plunged irto a contest with his lion,
Old Duke.
Old Duke Is a savage brute, and IL said
to be the largest lion in confinement. lie
bad killed two men, each with blow OF
one paw, before Frayne bought him in
Cuba. Frayne's first wife, who died seve-
raj years ago, az her dying request be.
sought Frayne to get rid OF the brute, as
she firmly believed II he did not her bus
band would be killed by it. Old Duke WAS
kept in a cage in the barn. The main en-.
trance to the barn was In the middle.
through two big swinging doors. The
lions cage was at the right OF the
door. On the left OF the doorway
were stalls for horses. Between the lions
cage and the horse. stalls was space wide
enough for q load of hay TO he driven In.
Separating the stalls from the open space
was a board partition that reached breast.
high to man, leaving an opening OF four
or five feet between the top OF the partition
and the hay-mow above the stalls. Old
Dukes cage stood on the barn floor. This
was the theatre OF brief but terrible strug-
gle that morning.
Frayne had bought handsome borse OF
Clydesdale stock for $500 q few days before,
and the horse was tied by a leather halter 10
the stall opposite 20 the lions cage. The
horse had been restless in the stall and bad
trembled whenever the lion roared. The
lion, too, had paced up and down In bis
cage and peered toward the horse between
the bars OF his cage. When Frayne was
aroused by the rumpus at early dawn
he ran to the barn and listened
moment at the door. The noise
had ceased. Then be tore open
the iastenings and saw at glance
that the front OF the cage had been
thrown open at one end, and the lion was
gone. The next moment he heard the
tearing Of flesh. Looking over the board
partition toward the stalls he saw old Duke
lying on the PROSTATE horse and his teeth
buried in its throat. Frsyne's determine
tiOn was taken In an instant. He stepped
quickly TO a post, where he remembered
and stepped lightly back TO the partition.
Old Duke was still feasting. Throwing
back his arm, Frayne said to the lion
steTnly:
"Duke!"
The animal raised bis head aud gIared.
but he did not move. IL was the critical
moment, anj Frayne flung the rope dexte.
rOusly around Old Dukes head aud pulled
10 Ia kn ft, -
the lariat to the lions cage, passed IL
through the opening through which the
lion had escaped, aud around three upright
iron bars. He then pulled on the liriat
with the sip-noose. shutting OF hIs
him toward the cage Old Duke left the
horse slowly, growing and roaring as he
went. When he would stop Frayne would
command and pull harder, and oil Duke
would suffer himself 10 be dragged further.
Frayne kept as close TO the cage rs pOssi-
BILE and as far away as be could from the
opening through which the lion had
escaped, vet Old Duke could have sprung
upon him at any time while Frayne was
working bim toward the opening in the
cage.
When Old Duke came near to the open.
ing be stopped and threw up his head.
Then he spraug toward Frayne. Had
Frayue been cowed he would have been a
dead man in an instant. AS the lion Juno
ed at him Frayne yelled aud raised bi'
right arm os II to strike. The lion, that had
Just tasted blood. seized Frayne's arm. and
his teeth met in the flesh. Why Old Duke
did not kill him on the spot FIayne doesn't
know. The brute relaxed his hold and
suffered himself to be pulled through the
opening by the lariat. Then Frayne push.
ed the. bars into place again. Az this mo.
ment ired. Knight. his sup. riDtendent,
came running up, aud The llriat was cut.
Frayne was a. white as sheet for an hour.
He attrik utes his escape to the recollec.
tion the lion had Of several previous 0cca-
sions when lariat was used 10 persuade
bin TO remove himself from one cage TO an
other. When Old Duke is travelling he
rides in cage so small that he can hardly
turn around, and when he Is 10 be trans
ferrod to the large cage IN the barn he ~
lassOed and pulled through the opening ia
the two cages set together. The old fellow
gTowls every times he sees a lasso in
Frayne's hand.
II was discovered that the cage from
which Old Duke escaped had not been se.
curtly fastened at the hinges. The eatirc
front OF tie cage, which is len feet long and
six feet high, could be lifted Off ike door
In a dwelling. The lion has n hlbit OF
raising himself on his hind legs and
scratching with his fore feet at the top OF
The cage on the side near the hinges, so thst
the wood is always fresh in color and rag
ged. In raising himself up one massive
shoulder had lifted of the iron-barred
front.
Finding himself free, the lion had only
TO spIiug upon the wooden partition that
separated him from his lOng.intended vic.
tim, the horse. The borse's head was
toward him. That the horse had struggled
TO escape was plain, as was aflerwsrd seen
by the broke halter. II was OF larger size
than halters IN use ordinarily, and 10 was
snapped of smoothly, as II cut by a sudden
blow Of knife. blade. The horse had no
time TO get out Of the stall. The hon had
sprung OF his neck and throttled him in his
tracks. Blood had spouted In streams on
the partitions on ei'her side OF the stall.
Old Duke had not done qucncbiug bis
thirst for blood when he was INTERRUPTED
by his master and dragged away.
List winter Frayne gave Old Duke the
stsge-name Of Bob lngersol. Frayne on
the same day he bad the tussle with the lion
went 10 Mount Clements Mineral Springs,
Micb., not on account Of his lame arm, but
because OF the rheumatism, Superintendent
Knight said yesterday.
FTayne shot and killed Miss Annie Won
Behren, OF $50 Stockton street, Brooklyn.
when attempting 10 shoot an apple from
her head on the stage OF Woods Theatre,
in Cincinnati, on November 30, 1882. He
was soon 10 have married Miss Won
Bebren. The play was 81 Slocum, a tra-
yesty on william Tell, and Frayne was
81 Socum and Miss Won Behren
Ruth slocum. Frayne wgs arrest.
ed and acquitted by coroner's
Jury OF intention 10 kill his sweet
heart. 1t was decided that the killing Of
Miss Won Bebren was caused by defective
cartridge, and not by FrayDe's faulty aim.
The girls mother acquitted him OF blame.
Frayne declared then that be would never
again use the rife on the stage, and he has
been true to bis VOW. Previous 10 that he
had shot super In the foot, who had stood
behind target In the theatre where he was
display ing his marksmanship. The bullet
went through the target and was DETECTED
10 The super's foot.
After shooting Miss Won Behreu rravne
left the stage and becsme grocer In Balti.
more. After year, however. he returned
TO bis old occupation. He had been with
animals and shows al. his life. His farm
in New Jersey he has named Echo bell,
and summering there now besides Bob
Ingersoll are two laughing hyenas, two big
bulldogs. and two black bears. The Neigh
bors complain mile away that the hyenas
aud the lion keep them awake At night.